Dylan's Long Lost Love...

There is something about this witch that this boy just loves! It was the same last year!

Outside with the Guy!

Hannah with Julia!

Performance!

It sure is hard to get a good photo of Mason's play--no flash photography in a dark theater! But here is the best I've got! I'll try again at next week's shows!

"Boo!" from our Cardboard Haunted House!!!

Hannah says "Hi!"

Contemplation...

Picking Pumpkins!

The Pumpkin Patch!

We had a great time with the other Dylan and his Mommy at the pumpkin patch yesterday!

Caterpillar!

Isn't this caterpillar interesting? It looks like it has tiny evergreen trees growing on it! I know Dylan is blurry in the last photo--I turned around and took the photo in a split second-- but I had to include it in this post because I love his expression so much!

Nature and Racecars!

Nothing can be done without a "racecar" clutched in at least one hand! Even on our hike, Dylan brought a racecar. Here he is balancing on a log while holding the racecar safe in his little hand. He tells us that he wants to "drive one'a dose racecars". When I suggest that he might need to grow a bit bigger and learn how to drive first, he says, "I bigger now. I ready to learn now." Hmmmm....

More From the Hike!

The Hikers!

We hiked a lovely little trail while we were in the woods, finding all sorts of logs to climb on, critters, and colors. The little guy did not need to be carried once and even ran much of the trail. In fact, his only issue was that he was not very inclined to use the campground potties which go down very, very far and are stinky. Finally, at the end of the hike, he gave in and ultimately thought it was great fun!

October!

October is, hands down, my favorite month in New Mexico! I love to feel the cool air begin to blow in through our windows at night and to watch the color slowly creep into the trees. We took a hike at Fourth of July campground on Sunday. It has been hard to get into the mountains this year because Mason has play rehearsal on both weekend days smack in the middle of the day. I cannot let October pass without a trip to the mountains, though, so we squeezed it in after Sunday's rehearsal!

At the Playground!

Two Year Olds!

There is something about this age that is so captivating. I know that two year olds are notorious for their tantrums, difficult behaviors, and liberal use of the word "no", but we seldom see that around here. Most things we ask of Dylan are greeted with a "Yeah, sure!!!" For Dylan, two is a year of wonder and intense joy in discovery and in being part of a family. Each morning when his sisters wake up, he greets them with such intense enthusiasm that you would think he hadn't seen them for months. You can see in his eyes at that moment that all is right with the world. For Dylan, two is also a year of heart-breaking innocence, of wearing his heart on his sleeve with no hesitation in showing his joys, fears, and above all, his excitements. He makes us chuckle with his huge displays of enthusiasm for things like balloons in the sky, popsicles for dessert, or anything that is out of the ordinary. All throughout the day, he randomly exclaims, "I a happy boy!"

So, here's to two, and I am going to try not to blink because I know all too well how fast it goes!

Accomplishment!!!!!

After three years of machine piecing and hand quilting, I am finally finished with Dylan's special circus quilt! I started it when I was pregnant with him and just finished it yesterday! He is so cute about it, exclaiming, "My quilt! Yay!" every time he sees it in his room. After I washed it and hung it on the line to dry, he was hugging it and counting the stars and balls on it. (I am also posting pictures of the quilts that I made for Mason and Hannah when they were babies.)

Halloween is Coming!

Balloon Fiesta!

Kiddos!